This from the Herald-Leader:
...Metrics are the foundation of accountability.
With that in mind, Kentuckians should thank the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence for again raising our sights.
The citizens committee that did more than anyone in the 1980s to kindle education reform is now proposing that Kentucky aim to be among the top 20 states on key education measures by 2020.
Don't scoff. Reaching that goal would be a challenge, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility. Consider that Kentucky advanced from 43rd nationally in 1992 to 34th in 2005 on 11 key indicators compiled by the Kentucky Long-term Policy Research Center.
One measure in which Kentucky still lags is local and state spending per student in elementary and secondary schools, which is 80 percent of the national average.
Kentucky spent $7,827 in state and local funds per student compared with 20th-ranked Virginia's $9,958 in 2005-06.
Kentucky schools in the poorest districts receive just 83 percent of state and local funding per student available in districts with richer property tax bases.
Those funding disadvantages are something to consider when comparing Kentucky schools to one another and the state's performance nationally...
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